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Daily Briefing primer: The Affordable Care Act's 2014 rollout

What you need to know about the ACA provisions going live next year

Jan. 1, 2014 brings the "full implementation" of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But what does that mean?

Here's the short answer: Millions of Americans will gain health insurance next year because of ACA provisions intended to make coverage mandatory for most residents, make it more accessible and affordable, and end discriminatory practices.

Here's a slightly longer answer...

New coverage requirements

The individual mandate goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2014. The provision requires most U.S. residents to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a penalty. The nine categories of residents exempt from the mandate are:

Individuals who cannot afford coverage;

Taxpayers with incomes below the filing threshold;

Members of Indian tribes;

Hardship;

Individuals who have short gaps in coverage;

Individuals who object to health coverage on religious grounds;

Members of a health care-sharing ministry;

Incarcerated individuals; and

Individuals who are not legally in the United States.

Notably, the ACA's planned employer coverage mandate—which requires employers with at least 50 workers working 30 hours or more per week to provide affordable health coverage or face a $2,000 fine per worker—would have begun in 2014. However, the provision has been delayed until 2015.

More affordable coverage options

In 2014, the ACA rolls out new coverage options for millions of Americans.

Medicaid expansion: The ACA's Medicaid provisions were originally intended to make all legal residents below 138% of the federal poverty line (FPL) eligible for Medicaid coverage. However the Supreme Court ruling on the law made the expansion optional, and many states have opted not to participate. Read our Medicaid expansion primer to learn more.